Living to make much of Jesus

Wanting Someone Else’s Life

each neighing for another man’s wife…(Je 5:8).

Not long ago my husband and I went to grab some lunch at a Mexican restaurant. My husband has this thing with getting, “the biggest plate of food.” It doesn’t really matter how good the food is, as long as his plate is the biggest. It makes me chuckle.

On this certain occasion, my plate of food was much larger than his. I noticed throughout our meal that he kept eyeing my plate with a look of disappointment covering his countenance. I finally said, “You keep looking at my food, did you want some?”

I have done this other times as well, longing for someone else’s life, money, family, marriage, job, or plate of food they ordered at the restaurant. Coveting someone else steals our joy and attention away from what is already ours in Jesus Christ.

I have spent far too many hours wishing for someone else’s’ life. If there is one thing the enemy loves to do it is distract us. He loves to keep our eyes off of the goodness of God. He loves to sway our hearts away from contentment. God desires for us to live in the present, asking for our needed manna for today. Whenever we dwell either in the past or spend our time wishing for a better future, maybe someone else’s perceived future we miss out on what we do have in Christ for today.

My dad always told me when he was growing up they didn’t have a pot to pee in. His father passed away unexpectedly when he was nine, leaving my grandmother as a young widow with two small boys. Yet, they had each other. They had food in their bellies and never had to go without with what needed to make it through that day. Life is so much more about perspective than our circumstances.

Two men sit at the table of God’s provision, one man sees a bounty, while another sees a famine. I’m not sure where you come into today, but I can assure you that the rise of social media has not helped our wayward, wandering hearts from lusting after that which we do not have. Praise God today for the breath in your lungs. The joy of Christ that dwells in your heart through faith. The love and grace of God that forgives sinners like you and me. For these things, we can rejoice and be glad.

Our perspective of my praise really stems from what is stored up in the heart. Do not think for one second that contentment just comes naturally without careful forethought and personal surrender. Those who are most content are not those that have all their hearts could ever dream, but those who have chosen to be at rest in the promises of God.

Whenever the heart starts to wander you feel its tension drawing you. You feel its pull carrying you away from the bounty of God’s provision to the demanding of the must-haves. It could be God is not giving you what you want because He sees you have positioned it as an idol before Him, believing you cannot be happy apart from it.

Oh Lord, forgive us! We have all we need in you!

Lord, thank you. I have all I need in you for today. I want to be at rest in the promised land of your provision. Thank you that you will not disappoint. Thank you that your love reaches into my being and grants me joy beyond compare. Thank you that I have everything that I need in you. Forgive me when my heart wanders. I long to sit in the bounty of your provision, in Jesus name, Amen!